Airbus, Avinor, SAS, Swedavia, and Vattenfall have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen infrastructure at airports in Sweden and Norway. This cooperation will provide better understanding of hydrogen aircraft concepts and operations, supply, infrastructures, and refueling needs at airports in order to help develop a hydrogen aviation ecosystem in both countries. The work will also identify the pathways to select which airports will be transformed first to operate hydrogen-powered aircraft in both countries as well as the accompanying regulatory framework. This is the first time that a feasibility study of this kind covers two countries and more than 50 airports. It reflects the partners’ shared ambition to use their respective expertise to support the decarbonization of the aviation industry and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The use of hydrogen to power future aircraft is expected to significantly reduce aircraft emissions in the air and help decarbonize air transport activities on the ground. In 2020, Airbus unveiled the first ZEROe concept with the ambition to bring to market the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035. The development of the corresponding technology bricks is now underway in a global research and technology network.
Airbus also launched the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations across the entire value chain. To date, agreements have been signed with partners and airports in ten countries including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“Hydrogen stands out as a key enabler as we pioneer a sustainable aviation future.” said Guillaume Faury, chief executive officer (CEO) of Airbus. “Norway and Sweden are among the most demanding regions for aviation and have great potential for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. I am very pleased to enter into this cooperation with partners fully engaged to take significant steps toward decarbonizing aerospace. It fits perfectly with our strategy of deploying hydrogen aviation ecosystems in the most suitable parts of the world.”
“Hydrogen is emerging as a key energy carrier in future fossil-free aviation,” said Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor. “As the owner and operator of 43 airports across Norway, Avinor has been working on sustainability for many years already and has taken a position as a driving force and facilitator for the green transition of Norwegian aviation. Our dialogue with Airbus concerning the decarbonization of aviation goes several years back and we are very happy to be able to announce this collaboration together with our good neighbors in Sweden. Norway, as well as Sweden, is well positioned to be an early mover in the introduction of hydrogen-powered aircraft. We look forward to contributing with our expertise as well as infrastructure to bring this important work forward.”
“We are very excited to be part of a larger partnership on the role of hydrogen in aviation together with Airbus, Avinor, SAS, and Vattenfall,” said Jonas Abrahamsson, Swedavia’s president and CEO. “Swedavia, Avinor, and SAS already have established successful collaborations in fossil-free aviation, and it is therefore exciting that Airbus, with its extensive knowledge of hydrogen-powered aircraft through its ZEROe initiative, and Vattenfall, with its expertise in electricity and energy production, are joining us in a more in-depth collaboration. Hydrogen is expected to gradually become an increasing part of the aviation industry’s fuel mix in the future and will therefore have an increasing effect on the infrastructure and planning of our airports. This partnership is a major and important step toward fossil-free aviation in the Nordic region.”
